This story should be called “Man Living in a Cave for 30 Years Takes Daughters to Target.” Or maybe “Man Projects Sexual Fantasy Onto Children.”

Fox 29 News in Philadelphia ran a remarkable story on 13 July 2015, entitled “Star Wars Action Figure Has Parents Furious.” A man shopping in the Deptford, Pennsylvania, Target store with his two daughters saw the Hasbro Black Series 6″ action figure for Princess Leia in her “slave” outfit—basically a bikini with a chain around her neck—from Return of the Jedi.

He told the news station, “That’s pretty inappropriate. I got two daughters I don’t need seeing that crap.” Other parents interviewed by the news station were also apparently “furious”:

“It’s a little indecent. A little more clothing would have helped,” Eugenia Mirica said.

“It’s just a bit much for a child. So, no, I probably wouldn’t give this to my 4-year-old and maybe not an 8-year-old,” Tiffany Mahan said.

“It’s true to the scene, but I don’t know if I would purchase this for my girls,” added Allison Degarmo.

Return of the Jedi itself was released in 1983 with a “PG” rating but heavily marketed to kids (Ewoks, anyone?) during the conservative Reagan 1980s. Yet there were no complaints at that time about Leia’s bikini on the real-life Carrie Fisher.

In the last thirty-two years, that “golden bikini” has become a pop culture force unto itself. Yes, to a large degree that force is adult male sexual fantasy. This was even exploited on the hit prime-time network television show Friends almost twenty years ago: “The One With The Princess Leia Fantasy,” which aired on 19 September 1996.

The parents who object to this toy—and according to Target this is the only complaint they have ever received since the action figure was released in 2013—are viewing the toy within this sexual framework. Young children, as I myself was when I saw Return of the Jedi in the theater in 1983, do not have this framework. Children see Princess Leia in that outfit within the context of the movie plot: she is a prisoner of a bad guy (Jabba the Hutt), who she eventually kills. The chain has a purpose in the movie—it is the hallmark of a prisoner, not sexual perversion.

To children, the golden bikini worn by Princess Leia is no more sexual than any of the bikinis worn by Barbie or other dolls of that ilk. It should be noted, however, that the bikini worn by the Leia action figure is permanently attached to her body. Unlike Barbie, Leia will never be naked.

Does Barbie’s ability to be rendered completely nude (albeit anatomically incorrect) have Target shoppers similarly “furious”? Or is it simply that Barbie does not turn them on as much as Princess Leia?

It’s hard to believe that the Secret War II crossover event began thirty years ago this month—in July 1985. This was the first big crossover event in Marvel history, with parts of the story spreading out over nearly all of Marvel’s titles. Some critics don’t review the story very positively, but as a child of the 1980s reading the story in the 1980s, I loved it. Even the Beyonder’s mullet.

Entertainment Earth has announced two very cool new exclusive Funko ReAction 3-3/4 inch action figures in the Star Trek original series line: Beaming Capt. Kirk and Beaming Spock. These figures will be available in August 2015 and are currently available for pre-order using the links above or by clicking on the images below.

The ReAction toy line features on-card action figures resembling the popular figures of the 1970s and 1980s created for franchises like Star Wars, G. I. Joe, etc.

Funko is a pop culture licensed-focused toy company located in Everett, WA. Funko currently holds more than 150 licenses including, but not limited to; Lucas Films, Marvel, Hasbro, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, DC Comics, NBA, Sanrio, and Disney. Funko’s Pop! Vinyl is the number one stylized vinyl collectible in the world with over 10 million units sold in the last three years.

Bryan Singer should be a household name to fans of comic books and movies. The director of the critically acclaimed X-Men, X2: X-Men United, Superman Returns, and X-Men: Days of Future Past movies is no stranger to comic book adaptations. Singer’s production company Bad Hat Harry also produced X-Men: First Class and The Wolverine, in addition to the television series House, M. D.

Bryan Singer’s first movie, 1995’s The Usual Suspects, may be his most renowned. Christopher McQuarrie won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay and Kevin Spacey won the Award for Best Supporting Actor in the film. In addition to the official recognition, Suspects achieved an almost instant cult status due primarily to the main villain/anti-hero Spacey’s “Verbal” Kint/Keyser Soze. Little is actually revealed about Soze during the film: even his identity is only revealed in the last few minutes.

This will change in early 2016. Bad Hat Harry Productions and Red 5 Comics have announced a series of graphic novels focused on Keyser Soze. The first issue of Keyser Soze: Scorched Earth will recount how Soze builds his drug empire during the 1980s’ “War on Drugs,” nine years prior to the events of the film.